The Crystal Heart
by Clara Bright
Summary: As Alice drifts in and out of Wonderland as she pleases, she comes face to face with her old enemy. But Iracebeth assures her that looks can be deceiving. Alice takes the oppurtunity to learn more about her past. She only knows one side of the story...
1. Chapter 1

**Hello reader! This is an idea I had and so I followed it up and I'm pretty sure it's going somewhere. When I saw Alice in Wonderland I instantly thought that it was unfair on the Red Queen and that her side of the story hasn't been told properly. So, because I love writing, I decided to think a past up myself. I really appreciate reviews so please let me know what you think!**

**Chapter 1: The Enemy **

Alice wondered if she would ever get tired of her wonderland. She had had so many mesmerising dreams about it, or were they reality? It was hard to tell as the two seemed to blend together often. She had returned to Underland once again and had visited everyone as normal. The hatter, hare and dormouse were their usual slightly bonkers selves, the white queen was a brilliant and adored monarch and everything seemed to glimmer with prosperity. Alice was comforted by the knowledge that she had made all this happen.

Alice often wondered whether this was all real. She didn't worry, just wondered. It would be nice if it was, but it wouldn't be a disaster if it wasn't. It felt so real to her it doesn't matter if it was fact or fiction, true or false. She was 21 years old and she thought, maybe a little old for fairy tales. She was a lady now, with a bright and successful future, so why did she need Wonderland?

She did need it. It was her escape, her breath of fresh air. Her life wasn't hard, it just wasn't enough. She had tasted the mystery of miracles and embraced them. She was _the_ _child_ of Underland. Alice felt that without it, she would lose hold on her real life. After being in somewhere where anything is possible and nothing is as it seems, it's almost impossible to return to a normal life. She had tried, and she had failed. After returning, she began to question the point in her existence. To live the same day over and over again and no matter what excitement she tried to include in her life, it didn't compare to the feeling of being in Wonderland.

She had had her head in the clouds for her whole life. She was seen as strange as she had a completely different view on life to anyone she knew. Things may be impossible in her world, but not in others. It's true, nothing is impossible and she knew it. Alice Kingsleigh, the girl who fell down the rabbit whole and couldn't bring herself to climb out again, and she was perfectly happy living in her own world. It was the only place she felt at home, whether it was real, or just in her mind.

She dusted down her powder blue dress. She never wore it at home but whenever she entered Underland she found herself wearing it. She assumed that it reflected her character so perfectly that it had become part of her, as the hatter had his hat.

She was stood in a desert; a barren wasteland, where the only sign of life were the occasional, oddly-shaped cactus or electric blue lizard crawling through the sand. She knew why she was there, but she still questioned herself whether it was a good idea. She had made up her mind however, and continued her journey through the outlands.

Eventually, she came to a rocky outcrop with the large, gaping entrance to a cave in the bare rock. She tossed a lock of golden hair over her shoulder and braced herself before entering the gloom.

It was refreshing at first as she was plunged into the shade of the cave, out of the scorching sun, but almost immediately she found herself shivering, it really was quite cold. The cave was deep and she had no light but as she ventured further in, trying to dampen the sound of her heeled boots on the cave floor, she saw a flickering light ahead. She was only a few yards from the entrance, but the back of the cave was in complete darkness.

The light grew in size as she walked hastily closer. She knew she was treading on glass. She pulled all her courage together and cleared her throat.

"Who is it?" said a sickeningly familiar voice with a sigh. It was a tired voice of someone who was losing hope, fast.

"Alice." Replied Alice, knowing she wouldn't need to explain further.

The other person in the cave scoffed.

"Come to gloat have you, Alice?" Alice's name on her lips sounded like a hiss, she had spat it.

"Not specifically but I may later. No, I was asked to check that you were still here, your sister doesn't want you dead you know."

"Death has to be better than this. I'm tired, Alice. I don't want to live anymore. But when you are like me, you live for a bloody long time and there isn't much you can do about it." said the disembodied voice bitterly.

"Can you turn a light on? I need to see it's you."

Alice heard a sigh and watched as the small flickering flame which was so weak it had almost no effect grow until the back of the cave was bathed in a warm glow.

Alice took in the dishevelled form of a woman sat in the corner. Her once extravagant and expensive dress was dusty and ripped, her scarlet hair was messy and her face utterly miserable.

There was one thing Alice noticed though about her body's proportions.

"Your head has got smaller."

"Well noticed"

"How?"

"I am no longer queen." she said simply, as if that explained everything.

The last time Alice had seen Iracebeth of Crimms, the former queen, she had had an extremely large head. It was the first thing you noticed about her. It didn't make you laugh, however, in person she was truly terrifying. Her head size contributed to this as it made her feel small. The red queen's head at the current time was significantly smaller, so it was almost normal size.

Iracebeth sighed at Alice's blank expression and continued: "I am no longer queen so my head has shrunk."

"So being queen makes your head massive?"

"No, it was my choice that as queen, I would increase my head size."

"Why would you do that?"

"It's a long story."

"We have time."

"I don't want to tell you."

"I will ask your sister then!" said Alice and turned to leave when she heard Iracebeth's quiet chuckle.

"What is it?"

"You honestly think that if you asked my sister, she would tell you the truth?"

"Why wouldn't she?"

"She's been lying to you since the day you fell down that rabbit hole."

Alice shook her head. "No she hasn't. Why should I believe you?"

"Well, maybe not lying but she hasn't been telling the whole truth. I bet in all her stories, she never even mentioned my past."

"And why should she? You were _horrible_ to her and always have been!"

Iracebeth stood up at this point, her dark eyes flashing bright red with anger.

"LIES! You have _no_ idea what you're talking about so shut up! If you knew the truth, you would think differently! You know nothing!"

Alice was shocked and a little scared. She swallowed hard and met the ex-queen's gaze.

"Fine. You tell me the _truth_ then."

"No. I don't want to tell you."

"Then you are obviously lying!"

"I'm not."

"Prove it!"

"Fine! I will!" Iracebeth said.

She sighed and sat down again, her legs crossed. She closed her eyes and balled her right hand into a fist. She sat this way for a few moments, her face showed that she was concentrating. She opened her eyes and held out her hand. In the centre of her palm was a small red crystal in the shape of a perfect heart.

"Take it." She said, a little more calmly "Take it and see for yourself. All of it is true, every bit so you can't say I'm lying."

Alice nodded, took the crystal heart and started to leave.

"Alice," Iracebeth said in a strangely gentle voice "Don't judge me by reputation or what other people have told you. Looks can be deceiving and people aren't always what they seem. Remember, there are two sides to every story, and you have only heard one."

Alice thought these words were strange but merely nodded to the former queen and left the cave, stepping into the bright sunlight. Shielding her eyes, she made for Malmoriel and he white queen where she would spend the night.

It was only when she got to her room and took the crystal out of her pocket that she realised she didn't know what to do with it. Though she was close to Mirana, the white queen, she had decided not to tell her about the crystal, she only said her sister was bitter, but alive.

She tucked the heart under her pillow as she settled down in bed. She would figure out how to use it in the morning.

Her mind was pulled into a deep sleep with Iracebeth's final words lingering behind her closed eyes.


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you for the reviews! If anyone has any suggestions to do with the plot or the characters, let me know.**

**DISCLAIMER: I do NOT own Alice in Wonderland. My fanfic is based on the Tim Burton film, the characters in which are based on the novel by Lewis Carroll. **

**Chapter 2: Introductions**

Alice was somewhere, she just wasn't sure where. She had a mind, she could think but she wasn't altogether sure if she had a body or not. When she looked down, she saw her powder blue dress and black boots which wasn't surprising but on further examination, she couldn't actually feel her body. It was as if she were transparent, detached, like her body is just a trick of the light. Her main interest wasn't if she was physically there or not, it was where she was. The answer to the question being she had no idea.

She was on a grassy bank, sloping gently down to a placid stream. It was a serene location and she assumed it must be somewhere in Underland because of the familiar blue mountains in the distance, the strangely humming forest on the other side of the valley and the rocking horse fly that just buzzed past her to dance around the daisies.

The next thing she realised is that she wasn't alone. A young girl was walking along the bank. Obviously, she was unable to see Alice as she was looking right through her as if she wasn't there. Alice guessed she was around 7 years old and was instantly familiar when she saw her.

She had skin so pale that she seemed to be giving off her own light and big, indigo eyes so dark they were almost black. Her face was young, innocent and extremely pretty, her lips large, full and the same colour as her eyes which stood out against her skin. Alice probably could have used all these different elements to figure out who it was but it was her hair which gave her the biggest clue. It was thick, glossy, shoulder-length and as white as her skin; Alice was looking at a 7-year-old Mirana of Malmoriel.

Mirana was calling for someone, but she didn't look particularly perplexed. She was wearing a white silk dress adorned with bows and pearls, an incredibly fine item of clothing for such a young child, then Alice remembered that at this point, she was a princess and so was probably used to a life of comfort and finery.

Alice watched as she proceeded down the hill, still calling something Alice couldn't hear. She decided to follow her and found it remarkably easy to do so, even though she wasn't a physical being. She glided down the bank after Mirana, stopping when they reached a small copse with the delicate stream bubbling through it.

Mirana stopped to look at a figure stood in the quietly flowing water and Alice observed also, hovering in the background as she felt as if she were intruding.

The figure was taller than Mirana and had their back to the both of them, her face out of sight. Alice's attention was immediately drawn to her hair. Mirana's hair was surprising, whereas this girl's was dazzling. It was thick, glossy and bright red, cascading down to her hips in shimmering scarlet waves. It formed one body rather than being individual strands and was utterly mesmerising. Alice had never seen someone with hair that red except...

Except...

"Racie, mother wants to see you inside." said the white haired young girl, her silvery voice ringing clear through the copse.

The other girl did nothing, she remained with her back to the other girl, her dress was just as expensive looking, only mainly red in colour with gold and black embroidered intricately into the fabric. The bottom of the skirt floated around in the water that came half way up her shins, but she didn't seem to mind getting wet.

"Racie!" shouted Mirana "Mother wants to see you! Answer me! Turn around!"

The other girl shook her head, her hair rippling and catching the sunlight. Alice had always been rather fond of her own golden hair, believing it to be her best feature, but she couldn't help being slightly jealous of the beautiful and unearthly red locks that somewhat resembled liquid ruby.

"Fine! I'll go and tell mother you couldn't be bothered!" said Mirana like an arrogant child and she turned and glided off up the hill again with impossible elegance for a 7-year-old.

Alice felt like she should follow her but she wanted to check whether her suspicions were correct about the girl in the water. She hesitantly crept up behind her, not wanting to make a noise despite the fact she was pretty sure she couldn't be seen in this strange current form.

She stepped a foot into the water. It was one of the strangest sensations she had ever had. She could see her foot in the water, though somewhat obscurely, and she could feel the cool touch of the water, but her foot wasn't wet, despite the fact the water came over the top of her boots as she had stood in a particularly deep section.

The girl stood with her head down, the curtain of red hair hiding most of her face. Alice moved through the water to face her and studied her intently.

She was pretty as well, surprisingly so, her features pale, delicate and perfectly proportioned. Her eyes were a dull brown-green and her small, cherry-red lips drooping downwards in an expression of utter sadness. Tears escaped her eyes and rolled down her pale cheeks, dripping off her pointed chin and mingling with the water from the stream.

Alice was surprised when she looked into the water and saw a huge variety of fish, frozen in motion, all their heads pointing upwards, observing the girl. Their faces showed limited expression but it was clear that they shared her grief. It was if they were in a trance while being completely themselves. Alice wondered if the fish in this part of Underland were just exceptionally sympathetic.

The girl sobbed, more tears flowing down her cheeks. The sound she made was a hushed whimper, no more than a whisper on the breeze. She was trying to stop crying but she just couldn't. Alice had a strange urge to hug the clearly distressed and tantalizingly familiar young girl but realised it probably wouldn't do anything.

"Why?" the clear whisper came from the girl's mouth as more tears fell "Why is it this way? What more can I do? I've tried everything and now I give up."

Her voice was soft and velvety and broken by sobs. It was heartbreaking to watch her in such obvious misery.

"I've faced the fact that they love her more than me. I had to get used to that. But why? What have I done? Or is it that there is just something so utterly loveable about her?

She reached her hand down and held it a few inches above the surface of the water. A small silvery fish that seemed to be glowing jumped gracefully out of the water and landed in her palm. Alice was rather shocked at this as she had never seen a fish behave that way.

The fish then stood up on its tail, bringing its head up to look at the red-haired girl. It didn't seem fazed by the lack of water.

"I'm the eldest." Continued the girl, she seemed to be addressing the fish "I will be queen one day. I should be the favourite. I know they want Mirana as queen, not me. She's lovely to everyone. It's not that I don't try to be nice but I think so many years of this has turned me bitter. My goodness pales in comparison to her's."

She was extremely well spoken for a girl of no more than 11. She was a princess too so Alice assumed her upbringing would lead to her extensive vocabulary and the rather regal way in which she held herself. This, however, did not explain the fish in her palm which she had raised to her face and was now patting her comfortingly with a small silver fin.

"I can never do anything right." She said bitterly, lowering her hand to the water so the fish could jump out.

Then, a loud cry made Alice and the girl jump, the fish scattered and the turned to face up the bank where the noise had come from.

"IRACEBETH!"

The girl groaned and wiped the tears from her face before picking up her skirts, hurrying out of the water and up the bank toward a hugely grand castle.


	3. Chapter 3

**Thank you for everyone who has favourite/followed my story. Reviews are always appreciated.**

**DISCLAIMER: I **_**still**_** do not own Alice in Wonderland. I have made **_**no**_** profit out of this fanfic.**

**Chapter 3: Talent**

This was one of the strangest dreams Alice had ever had.

And that was saying something.

It clearly proved that Wonderland itself was not a dream, as it would be almost impossible to have a dream _within_ a dream.

But then again, Alice was used to "impossible" things happening rather frequently.

Besides, it hadn't _felt_ like a dream. It was different, more real, as if she were intruding on something private and personal, like she wasn't meant to be there at all.

To add to this rather absurd chain of events, one dream seemed to blend into the next ad she discovered herself almost instantly in an entirely different location.

In contrast to the rather charming yet wild scenery of the last dream, she was still outdoors, but in a small, neat garden somewhere. Every hedge was trimmed so there was not a leaf out of place and several were clipped into interesting and complicated shapes. From where Alice "stood" she could see hedges in the shape of a horse, a snake, a crown and an intricate flame. The flower beds were pristine with neat rows of colourful buds pushing through the earth and the lawn she stood on was mowed so it was all perfectly level.

Yes, it was all rather too neat for Alice's liking.

She saw what had brought her to what she assumed was a courtyard in the palace; the two girls sitting opposite each other, crossed legged on the rich green grass. They hadn't changed much from the last time; the most that could have passed was a year and yet their faces were still as regally sculptured as the garden around them. Alice noticed the main difference, though.

They were _both_ smiling.

"Look what else she taught me!" said Mirana excitedly. Iracebeth watched intently as her younger sister uncorked a small glass phial she had been holding and poured a single drop of the strange, purple-silver liquid onto her palm. She raised her hand to her face and blew on the single droplet gently. A bubble grew out of the drop and hovered above her still-open palm, as if awaiting instructions. Mirana looked like she was concentrating hard, her pale face screwed up in a look of utter focus as she stared at the bubble. Suddenly, it burst and in a shower of what could only be described as silver glitter, a small, white butterfly appeared, stretched its wings and fluttered round the two girls.

Iracebeth applauded while Mirana beamed at her beautiful creation.

"Mother says that's my gift. I can make potions do what I like. She says anyone can put the ingredients together but very few have the magic to bring them to life."

Alice half expected Iracebeth to be brimming with envy but the young girl tossed a lock of vibrant red hair over her shoulder and straightened up. Her eyes were green, but not the dull green they had been before, they were deep, pure green, almost turquoise and at that point, they were glittering proudly.

"Watch what I can do!"

She focused on the butterfly that was fluttering freely around a nearby rose bush. As soon as her turquoise gaze fixed on it, the butterfly's whole demeanour changed. It was sat on a rose petal, still elegant as ever, but it looked directly at Iracebeth, a strange air of intelligence around it as it sat patiently, waiting for orders.

Iracebeth held out her hand and within a few moments, the butterfly had left the rose and landed in her palm its wings beating softly together like a heartbeat.

Mirana watched, wide-eyed.

"H-how did you do that, Racie?"

Iracebeth smiled softly as the butterfly flew up to her face, its wings kissing her pale cheek.

"Animals understand me, they always have. I guess I only figured out how to use it fairly recently. That's my gift, Mirana, it is not just you that is special. Mother says it is because we are of royal blood, magic runs in our family and in our veins. When I'm older, mother says I will be able to make animals do what I want, even make some of the less intelligent ones talk. She said I have dominion over living things. I know it will be helpful to me when I am queen."

Mirana scrutinised her sister as the butterfly land on her index finger. The younger sister held out her hand and stared at the butterfly expectantly. When nothing happened, she began to get agitated.

"Why won't it work with me? I created it!"

Iracebeth shrugged.

"It has a mind of its own now. That is where your power stops and mine starts."

She glanced at the butterfly and then at Mirana's hand and instantly the insect took off and landed on Mirana's pale palm and she smiled in delight.

"It's amazing, Racie! You're controlling it!"

She glanced up at her sister.

"If you can do this, does that mean you can control people?"

Iracebeth laughed, a delicate and sweet sound that made Alice shiver.

"No, Mirana, don't worry. Animals are different to us, they work differently mother says. I can't fight the free will of people."

"Shame, that would make things a lot easier sometimes." Said Mirana, laughing.

"Yes," Iracebeth smiled as she let the butterfly flutter off into the garden "I'm sure it would."


	4. Chapter 4

**Thanks to everyone who reviewed! I'm sorry it is taking a while but I have two other stories in progress at the same time. **

**Chapter 4: Reality**

Alice eyes flew open.

She blinked several times, the light streaming through the gossamer assaulting her eyes. She sat up and stretched, slipping out of her four poster bed and changing out of her silk nightgown into her signature powder blue dress.

She was half way through combing her hair when she remembered the dream.

Was it a dream? It seemed rather real. And now that she thought about it, she could remember every detail, every word that had been said.

She walked back over to her bed and pulled the small crystal heart from under her pillow. It was glowing softly, a gentle ruby red that made her feel strangely placid. Something this beautiful couldn't have been made by _her_ hands.

Alice decided to confront Mirana on the contents of the dream.

Ten minutes later found her beside the White Queen herself on a balcony, overlooking the West border. The Queen had a wistful and slightly vacant look, gazing over her kingdom with her violet eyes glittering with the magic of her Wonderland.

"You didn't ask about my visit to the Outlands." Stated Alice, turning to face the Queen.

Mirana smiled faintly and took a moment before responding.

"I assumed you would have told me if there was anything important for me to be told."

"Well...there was something...but I didn't think it was worth mentioning...until now."

Mirana smiled softly and nodded, indicating for her to continue.

"When I spoke to your sister, she said that I didn't understand what she had been through. Naturally I asked what she meant and I didn't believe her when she told me her life had been hard. She said I wasn't worthy of judging her by what others saw when I didn't know her story, so she gave me this."

Alice took the small glass heart from the pocket of her dress and held it out to the White Queen. It sat there, glowing ethereally in her palm.

Mirana contemplated it for a moment, turning over what Alice had said. Her gaze was far away again, and her eyes went unusually cold, as if she was trapped in a memory.

"Alice what you must know about my sister is that she is very righteous. She is unjust to other people but she has been brought up not to judge on appearances. I can understand why she is sour, she has lost and she hates losing, but I cannot understand why your judgement means so much to her."

Mirana took the crystal heart from Alice and studied it, the red glow against her snowy skin almost looked like a wound.

"I don't know why she gave you this but I can guess what it is. It is a memory casp, something she has always been good at creating. If you have magic in your blood as Iracebeth and I do, you can store any memories you wish in a memory casp. Enchanting things really, they can take any shape you wish. Of course, Iracebeth's is a red heart. She wanted you to view her memories, as I assume you did last night."

Mirana closed her eyes and held the heart tightly, then opened her eyes again and looked at Alice.

"It is personal; she doesn't want anyone else to see what you will. Only you can use it."

She handed the strange object back to Alice, who hadn't got the answer she was looking for.

"So...do you want me use it? Or should we destroy it?"

Mirana's eyes had glazed over again, she was somewhere else entirely but she still replied.

"I think that if Iracebeth wanted you to see her childhood, you should honour that, no matter what she has done in the past. It might open your eyes. I don't know what is stored in there, but I can promise you that a memory casp cannot be false. So whatever it does show you, all of it is true. Iracebeth wasn't always like she is nowadays, I know that much. She gave you that crystal, so use it."

She turned to face Alice and smiled blissfully.

"Keep your eyes, mind and heart open, Alice. You never know what you may overlook if you don't."

And with that she glided off the balcony and disappeared.


	5. Chapter 5

**DISCLAIMER: Don't own Alice in Wonderland...etc etc**

**Chapter 5: Lessons**

She was dreaming again...

Alice realised that she seemed to spend far too much time dreaming...

She remembered sitting by the lake with the Hatter all afternoon before going to bed, with some anticipation. She knew what the causes of these strange visions were now and so she was going to pay extra attention to try and pick up key details.

Once again, she was semi-present in her powder blue dress. And once again the location was different.

She was stood in a large corridor. It was wide and tall and portraits and paintings watched her from both walls. It had a much warmer feel than the Red Queen's castle at Salazan Grum and it wasn't as pristine and dazzlingly white as the White Queen's at Malmoriel. Daylight streamed through large windows and it felt royal and homely at the same time.

Alice didn't doubt for a second that she was inside the castle that she had seen in previous dreams. Glancing out of the nearest window, she saw the vast expanse of palace grounds and then the raw beauty of Wonderland beyond.

A girl was approaching.

Was she a girl?

She appeared to be at that awkward stage between childhood and womanhood. She was around 14 or 15 and easily recognisable even from a distance.

Her coral red hair was loose today and in soft, perfect waves around her face. She looked anxious and agitated and seemed to be rushing to wherever she was going. Alice took the initiative and walked towards Iracebeth as she hurried in the opposite direction down the corridor towards Alice, staring right through her.

When she got within a few feet Alice stopped dead, eyes widening with shock.

It really must have been a while since her last "visit". Iracebeth looked completely different. Well, she was recognisable but only just. Her features had developed with age, her youth had shaped her elegantly. Her cheekbones were higher, her chin more pointy, the structure of her face was more graceful and delicate. Every part of her seemed to be slender from her pale fingers to her neck. As a child, she had been pretty, as is easy for children, but she had truly grown into her looks. Only her eyes and her hair hadn't changed. If it hadn't been for these aspects, Alice would have suspected somebody different entirely. Nevertheless, this was undeniably the young Red Queen of Wonderland, and she was possibly the most beautiful person Alice had ever seen.

Still rather paralysed with shock, Alice watched as Iracebeth ran past her and turned right at the end of the corridor. Alice pulled herself into the present and followed her, it would do nothing just standing around.

She followed the princess down several more passages until she was rather breathless and Iracebeth hurried through a small wooden door. Alice managed to slip inside after her before the door shut.

"I'm sorry I'm late." Panted Iracebeth to a woman sat at a desk at one end of the room. There was a blackboard at the front and bookshelves overflowing with books covering all walls. Two small desks stood in the middle of the room, facing the blackboard. One of them was occupied, on was not.

The woman had short spiky hair that was a shade of grey that was almost powder blue. She had a very pointed nose, a small mouth with almost non-existent lips and a strict, furrowed brow. Her eyes were blue, although the pupils were thin and vertical, like a cat's. She was looking at Iracebeth over the rim of her rather oddly-shaped spectacles with an expression that showed she was not impressed.

"Sit down, Iracebeth. May I enquire as to what you find so very important that you are prepared to be late to my lesson to attend it?"

The girl already sat at a desk looked up at this, a smug glint in her violet eyes. Mirana looked about 11 and had also grown into her looks, although the change was not as drastic as Iracebeth's. Her silvery hair was in two plaits over each shoulder and her dark lips pulled into a slight smirk.

"Um..." Iracebeth blushed slightly, the pink colouring her cheeks complemented her. "I had to talk to Mother about arrangements for the Fall Ball..." She bit her lip nervously. The stern-looking woman, obviously her tutor of some sort, looked like she wasn't fooled, but said nothing.

Iracebeth took her seat and Mirana leaned over and whispered to her. Alice moved closer to hear what was being said.

"Tell me who he is."

"'He' is no one."

"Oh come on, Racie! Why else would you constantly be late to lessons? You never seem to be around either, always off doing something. I bet you're meeting him in the garden, aren't you?"

"There is no he!" Iracebeth hissed loudly, the tutor, who was currently writing on the blackboard, turned around to survey her.

"Iracebeth, having already been late to my lessons, I consider it incredibly self-important to talk."

Iracebeth mumbled a half-hearted apology and the tutor turned back to the board.

"Tell me!" whispered Mirana.

"There is nothing to tell! I was just out and lost track of time..."

Mirana snorted, she obviously didn't believe this.

"Look Mirana, shut up or I'll feed you to the Bandersnatch." Iracebeth hissed with venom. Alice couldn't help but smile; that was more like the woman she knew.

Mirana did drop the subject, only after much debating. The lesson progressed and Alice found herself actually enjoying it and tried to absorb all the knowledge of Wonderland. The same could not be said for the girls. Mirana was idly doodling on her parchment and Iracebeth was having a hard time staying focused, her green eyes kept drifting off into the mid distance.

Alice was curious. What was it that Iracebeth had been so determined to hide from her sister and tutor? Was it a "he"? Or was she hiding a bigger secret?

After the lesson finished Iracebeth grabbed her books from the table, stashed them on a shelf on the wall of the classroom and took off down the corridor with surprising speed. Alice jogged after her, closely followed by Mirana. She seemed as determined as Alice to find out where her sister had been.

"Racie, wait!"

Iracebeth continued to stride along the corridors, turning down the intricate labyrinth of passageways, her sister and Alice in pursuit. Alice followed her out into a courtyard, different to the one they were last in. There was a serene pool in the middle, two weeping willows bending over it in a heart shape. Alice was pretty sure they had her cornered until Iracebeth lifted her skirts slightly and proceeded to climb one of the willows. Alice stopped and watched her climb with agile grace, she had obviously done this many times before.

Mirana stopped too and crossed her arms angrily, glaring up at her older sister.

"Racie! Mother says it's unladylike to climb trees! No pastime for a princess she said! Don't you remember? Now, tell me where you were!"

"No. Mind your own business you little insect!"

Mirana's face betrayed how offended she was.

"That is _so rude, _Racie! I'm telling mother! I won't if you tell me were though!"

Iracebeth sighed and rolled her eyes, she was obviously not threatened by this.

"It really isn't that interesting, Mirana. If you found out, you probably wouldn't think it worth your time."

"Well tell me and I will decide that for myself!"

Iracebeth sighed again. She shifted on the thin branch she was perched on and leaned down slightly.

"Fine. I was in the Tulgey Woods."

Mirana gasped.

"Mother and Father said you weren't allowed to go in there alone!"

"I don't care. I hate being cooped up here. Besides, I wasn't hurt, what harm did it do? None. I didn't go far, just inside the border. I just needed a place to think!"

Mirana frowned.

"I want to come there with you!"

"Mirana you can't, you are just a child."

"So are you! And you said it wasn't dangerous. You said it could do no harm!"

Iracebeth exhaled deeply and slid down from the tree, landing gracefully on two feet. She walked over to her sister and bent down to her level.

"Alright. I promise, one day, I will take you into the Tulgey Woods with me. But, you must promise to be very nice to me, or I won't."

Mirana beamed and nodded eagerly.

"Good, now go back inside. You have homework to do."

Mirana looked as if she was about to protest but remembered her promise and turn and skipped back inside. Iracebeth smiled wistfully to herself and returned to the tree. She climbed up it and had just settled in a fork when a large toothy grin floating in mid air appeared beside her.


	6. Chapter 6

**Sorry this took a while! I don't update on a regular basis anyway...**

**Sorry it's short!**

**Chapter 6: The Smiling Cat**

Alice stood rooted to the spot as a familiar cloud of azure fur materialised around the crescent moon grin until the cheshire cat sat serenely in mid-air. Iracebeth leaned back against the trunk of the tree, one leg hanging from the thick branch she sat on and observed the floating feline in front of her. The cat tilted his head on one side, observing the princess from which irritation oozed.

"My hightened feline senses detect that you are...troubled? Unhappy?" The cat purred, his voice rich and velvety.

Iracebeth rolled her eyes.

"Well done Chess, how on -earth- did you figure that out?"

Ignoring the evident sarcasm, the cat blinked his huge turquoise eyes and floated closer to the young princess.

"Anything I can help with, your highness?"

Iracebeth sighed and adjusted her seating on the branch.

"No, nothing you can do. Just...family expectations and secrets. Both of which don't concern you."

"Oh but you know how I love secrets!"

"Yes, but I can't tell anyone I'm afraid. But Mirana's wrong, it isn't what she thinks."

"Yes I heard your little argument. So not a young man then?"

"No."

"A young woman perhaps?"

Iracebeth gave him an odd look and shook her head.

"No! Nothing like that! It's just...I'm not really cut out for royal duties."

Chessur smiled widely, the corners of his mouth almost reaching his ears.

"Now why doesn't that shock me?"

She shot him a scathing look, but smiled none the less. Alice could see she liked the creature, odd as he was, then again, being Princess of Underland she was probably used to the unusual.

Chessur then spoke again.

"Speaking of young men, I am informed that the young man Stayne wishes to speak with you."

Iracebeth frowned.

"Why?"

The cat shrugged, disappeared, then materialised on a thinner branch to her right.

"I don't know, dear, I'm just the messenger. Either way, it isn't his place to come looking for you personally, and I believe it has been a while since you last spoke to him."

"Deliberately so. He's an arrogant oaf."

"That's hardly a way to talk about the son of the head of the Royal Guard."

"I'm the future Queen, I can talk about whoever I want, however I want. Either way it's justified. He thinks he's so important, thinks he knows everything. 'The best sword in the Kingdom' as he is constantly informing me. I only put up with him because he'll be my head of security when I'm Queen. Otherwise I'd tell him to get lost."

"Surely he must have some redeeming qualities?"

Iracebeth snorted, a rather unladylike gesture, then ran a hand through her scarlet curls.

"He is a fair fighter, and I guess he can be fun, he makes me laugh. Not to mention he's the only person in Underland close to my age who is bold enough to actually talk to me. Still, I reckon he's only my 'friend' to find a way to get to Mirana, after all that's what most people want from me; an excuse to meet my sister." She sighed "Still, I'm used to it now, her being the favourite."

Chessur cocked his head on one side.

"I don't know, my dear. If you weren't so boisterous and headstrong, you might get a fair bit of attention"

"Yeah, so if I change everything about myself!" She smiled hopelessly "No, the only reason for that would be because I'm going to succeed the throne, I'm pretty certain most people want Mirana to do that anyway. Still, pretty face, warm heart and gentle manners, I can see the obvious appeal."

"I'd be lying if I said Mirana didn't have all those things, but you've grown into quite the beautiful young woman, Iracebeth. I think you just make a point of destroying what image you could have."

Iracebeth shook the compliment off. "I'll never have fair hair or big purple eyes or a willowy figure like her."

Alice thought this was true, where Mirana's hair was straight, pale and fair, Iracebeth's was thick, scarlet and wavy. Mirana had big indigo eyes whereas Alice had witnessed Iracebeth's changing colour on more than one occasion, but never to the shade of her sister's. Mirana was tall for her age and of a slim build whereas Iracebeth was slightly shorter and had the curvaceous figure fitting a young woman. The two sisters couldn't be more different, but Alice was at a loss as to why Iracebeth would envy her sister's looks.

"That may be true," said Chessur "but that is not the only vision of beauty. Would you want to look just like your sister?"

Iracebeth appeared to contemplate it.

"Either way, my dear, you are perfect as you are. Don't let anyone, especially Stayne, tell you otherwise. Speaking of which, you had better go and see him. Off you go."

Iracebeth reluctantly climbed down from the tree. It appeared she wasn't used to, nor did she like, taking orders, especially from her "inferiors". 


	7. Chapter 7

**I'm back! Sorry I've been rather caught up with various other fanfictions I have on the go, especially my Dark Shadows one, which keeps inspiring me.**

**I had unashamed fun with this chapter!**

**Either way, on with the story!**

**Chapter 7: Illosovic Stayne**

Alice followed a little way behind the princess as she left the pristine courtyard garden and headed into the ubiquitous labyrinth of the palace corridors. Several servants skidded out of the way as Iracebeth positively charged through the hallways, obviously on a mission.

Alice was anything but inobservant, and therefore she was well aware of whom the future Queen was going to see. The last time she had seen the Knave, it had been handcuffed to Iracebeth on the chessboard battlefield. It then became apparent to Alice that he had been nowhere to be seen when she had visited Iracebeth in the cave. She wondered what the vicious woman had done with him.

Despite her hatred and utter resentment for the disloyal and slimy man, she was strangely curious to see what he looked like in his youth. He must have been around Iracebeth's age, if not slightly older, and seeing all the adults she had met in Wonderland in their early ears was highly amusing.

They exited the palace and Alice followed Iracebeth down to a huge, elaborate stables, gliding over rocks and grass as she did so. The stables were meticulously clean, despite being the home of dozens of horses. Iracebeth walked through the alley running through the middle and Alice caught sight of some of the most beautiful horses she had ever seen in colours from pure, undirtied white to vibrant green and orange. She spotted several with wings, some with rainbow manes, some all black with red eyes, some twice the size of normal horses and some half the size, but only one she saw had a golden twisted horn atop its majestic head.

She powered straight down to the end and stopped abruptly in front of the stable on the end of the row. A young, lean stallion stood with its mighty head over the door. It was midnight black with not a marking to be seen and, though obviously young, it had strength and power woven into its very gaze. Iracebeth, unlike Alice, was not the least bit phased by the beast, and instead walked straight up to the polished wooden door and banged on it with her dainty fist.

"Stayne! You better have a good reason for dragging me down here!" She shouted with authority which had no effect on the horse, but caused Alice to jump.

"Just a second, _your Highness_." Came the sickeningly sarcastic reply from inside the stable.

A moment later, a figure pooped up from where he had been hidden beneath the door. He was young in years, and, as Alice had guessed, slightly older than the young princess. Well, if not older then more mature looking. He was already abnormally tall, and had thick black hair and a pale rugged face with sculpted cheekbones, a Roman nose and startling blue eyes. He was at the awkward stage in growth when his body's ambitions were too great for his muscles and therefore was rather long and lanky. He appeared to be the type who spends a great deal of time outside; he wore a lose fitting white shirt smudged with dust with the sleeves rolled up and, though his complexion was naturally pale, his arms were tanned from manual labour.

Alice was taken aback by how different he looked without the scar across his eye, and yet he was still recognisable. She certainly hadn't counted on him being fairly handsome, or to look so much like a normal stable boy.

Well, as normal as you could get in that place...

"What do you want?" he asked.

"I could ask you the same question. Chessur said you wanted a word?"

"Did I? Hmm...let me think..." he feigned contemplation while Iracebeth rolled her eyes. She was surprised he was confident enough to joke around with her...actually she wasn't.

"Stayne, I'm serious, I was busy and if you don't tell me what you need to now, I'm afraid your father will be hearing about how...unsatisfactory...you have been towards your superiors."

He just smirked and shrugged. He patted the black horse's flank, put his hands on the gate and hoisted himself over it, landing rather elegantly beside Iracebeth. Alice noticed then that the horse must be his, she thought it had looked familiar, and that's how Iracebeth knew exactly where to find him.

"Alright, calm down! No need to get touchy! What's so important to get back to anyway?" He smirked again and leaned casually against the stable door. His horse butted his shoulder affectionately with its muzzle.

"None of your business, stable boy!" Iracebeth hissed. Out of experience, Alice knew it was never wise to aggravate her, but she was quite curious to see how this would play out.

'"Stable boy?" Not for much longer _Princess_. I'll be the head of your guard as soon as you're crowned so as a matter of _security_ I demand to know where you've been.'

She raised an eyebrow, she looked more amused than angry now.

"And as your _future Queen_, I could have you beheaded for such impudence."

"I dare you."

For a moment they just stood there, trying to stare each other down. Stayne looked all together relaxed and threatening at the same time, but Iracebeth looked rather fantastically challenging. In the end, Stayne gave a look of mild respect and shifted his position against the door before flicking his hair out of his eyes and returning his gaze to her.

"It's about your horse, mi'lady. Hurt her hoof, riding her too hard. I'd recommend giving her a few weeks rest while it's treated."

Iracebeth looked concerned, her brow furrowed and she bit her lip.

"How bad is it?"

"Not too bad, she just needs rest. Like I said, riding her too hard. Then again, it's better than you just sitting around sewing or something."

"Thought that's what "ladies" were supposed to do?"

"Yeah well that's boring."

"It's what Mirana does."

"My point exactly."

"You honestly don't think I'm going to believe you prefer spending time with me than my perfect sister?"

"Believe what you want, I just said it how it is."

"Well you're about the only one in that case."

She paused for a moment and looked down. Stayne observed her with his head tilted on one side.

"Can I see her?"

"Your sister? Stupid question."

"No, Eglindo."

"Well she isn't here right now. Having treatment away from the palace."

"And no one told me?!"

"I'm telling you now."

She gave an exasperated sigh and tossed a scarlet lock over her shoulder. Stayne shrugged.

"Sorry Princess..." he looked thoughtful "You wanna ride mine?"

She looked shocked for a minute, as though he had suggested something ridiculous. Then laughed and shook her head.

"Perhaps another time. Lots of royal duties to attend to..."

She turned mock-haughtily and started walking away, Alice began to follow her.

"Hey Princess!"

Iracebeth rolled her now bright violet eyes and turned around to face him again.

"Whoever _he_ is, you know it isn't long before I find him and beat the living daylights out of him?"

Iracebeth looked as if she was going to interject something, then simply smirked and flounced off back up the alley of stables. Stayne chuckled and shook his head and pushed himself over the gate again and back into the stable.

Alice couldn't help thinking what an interesting series of events she had just witnessed.


End file.
